Reema and Mukesh
The investigation commenced with the interrogation of two passengers from cabin one: Reema and Mukesh.
Reema hailed from the bustling city of Noida, while Mukesh was a native of the Pink City, Jaipur. Their connection traced back to their college days, where a deep affection blossomed between them.
Now, life has led them to work as software engineers in different companies across Delhi, navigating the city's vibrant professional landscape.
Ramakant Shastri, the seasoned investigator, posed a series of meticulous questions to the couple. He probed their backgrounds, their journey, and their interactions, hoping to unearth a crucial detail or a hidden connection.
However, their responses were consistent and unwavering. They spoke of their lives in Delhi, their shared history, and the excitement of their current travels. Mukesh had an important official assignment in Srinagar. Seizing the opportunity to combine work with leisure, they decided to travel to the scenic city together, hoping to spend some quality time amidst its beauty. They knew about this train and its scenic journey. So they decided to take a long break from work and to experience this journey with visiting South India.
There was no indication of any acquaintance, let alone a link, between them and the deceased individual found elsewhere on the train.
Shastri's initial line of inquiry seemed to have reached a dead end, leaving him to ponder the intricate puzzle of the unfolding mystery.
***
The Gupta Couple
Mr. and Mrs. Gupta, a distinguished couple in their early sixty, occupied cabin two. Hailing from the vibrant city of Udaipur, they were the proud founders and administrators of a highly regarded school. Their current journey had brought them to Srinagar, where they were scheduled to deliver a lecture at a prestigious institute, a favor for a dear friend.
The demands of running a successful school had kept them relentlessly occupied, leaving little room for personal time. Sensing their exhaustion, their thoughtful friend suggested a change of pace: a journey aboard "The Nature Express." The idea resonated with them, a chance to trade their usual routine for the gentle rhythm of travel.
Inspector Ramakant, his brow furrowed in concentration, directed a series of questions towards Mr. and Mrs. Gupta. Each query was posed with a deliberate inflection, yet none of their responses seemed to establish any connection to Shailesh. The more he inquired, the more apparent it became that the Guptas were either genuinely unaware of Shailesh or were skillfully concealing their knowledge.
A palpable sense of disappointment settled upon Inspector Ramakant. His initial lead, whatever it might have been, appeared to be going nowhere.
***
Rita and Rohan
It was now the turn of the travelers from cabin five. Rohan, a businessman from Delhi, was married to Rita and had a four year old son. He had traveled to Srinagar for a business deal and had brought his family along, hoping to blend work with a much-needed break and some quality time together.
Shailesh, also a businessman, was someone Rohan had once completed a business transaction with. Ramakant, ever the meticulous investigator, seized upon this connection and subjected Rohan to a detailed interrogation, hoping to unearth some significant relationship or underlying issue between the two men.
However, his efforts once again led to a dead end.The business deal between Rohan and Shailesh had taken place approximately five years prior and had concluded without any complications or disputes. Consequently, there were no apparent loose ends or lingering resentments that could serve as a motive in the current situation.
***
Mr. & Mrs. Singh
The spotlight now shifted to the occupants of cabin six, the Singh couple. In their late forties and hailing from Ludhiana, they were the proud owners of a well-regarded Punjabi restaurant in their hometown.
Their presence on this luxurious train was a direct result of their recent triumph in a Srinagar-based cooking competition. Having impressed the judges with their culinary skills, they were awarded this exquisite journey as their well-deserved prize.
Ramakant, with his characteristic meticulousness, carefully questioned Singh's. He listened intently to their account, searching for any detail that might shed light on the unfolding mystery. However, despite his thorough inquiries, their testimony yielded no fruitful leads, leaving him with a sense of persistent frustration.
With the investigation at another impasse, Ramakant resolved to speak with the final traveler on his list: Shruti, the sole occupant of cabin seven. Perhaps she held the key that would unlock the secrets of this perplexing situation.
***
Shruti
Shruti, a solitary traveler aboard the rhythmic train, was a writer with an insatiable wanderlust. Each new destination was a blank page waiting to be filled with the vibrant ink of experience, fueling her diverse articles for newspapers and magazines.
Hailing from the bustling heart of Delhi, she had deliberately chosen this particular train journey, seeking fresh perspectives to weave into her narratives.
During Ramakant's interrogation, Shruti calmly recounted her professional encounter with Shailesh three years prior, an interview conducted for a magazine feature. To substantiate her claim, she readily provided tangible proof of their interaction.
Once again, a thread connected the victim to this intriguing woman, yet Ramakant could discern no sinister undertones in their past association. A wave of frustration washed over him as the mystery surrounding the case seemed to deepen, threatening to slip through his fingers like grains of sand. His initial optimism began to wane, replaced by a gnawing sense of helplessness in the face of this perplexing puzzle.
***
The Enquiry of Staff
Now Ramakant decided to interogate the staff. He started from Ramesh and his helpers. Ramakant, a man whose stern demeanor belied a sharp intellect, began his interrogations. Ramesh, a man weathered by years of service, spoke first. "Shailesh Dev," he began, his voice a low rumble, "has traveled on this train twice before. That's how I know him. There's no other connection, no deeper acquaintance." He offered no further details, his gaze steady, unwavering.
Next, Ramakant questioned Sonu, Viren, and Mohit, each individually, in an effort to discern any inconsistencies. One by one, they corroborated Ramesh's statement. "Yes, we know Shailesh," Sonu affirmed, his voice soft, almost hesitant. "He's been a passenger on this route previously. Beyond that, he's a stranger." Viren and Mohit echoed his words, their testimonies aligning perfectly.
As the interrogation continued, Ramakant learned more about the staff. Viren and Mohit, it turned out, were childhood friends from Patna, a twist of fate having brought them to the same workplace, miles away from home. Their shared history was evident in their easy camaraderie, a stark contrast to the more reserved Sonu.
Sonu, a young man from Agra, presented a different picture. His quiet politeness and well-spoken manner hinted at an education far superior to his current station. A flicker of something, perhaps sadness or resentment, would occasionally cross his eyes. Ramakant, ever observant, noted it. Later, a colleague, privy to the train's quiet whispers, revealed Sonu's troubled past.
During his final year of engineering, a bright future had been snatched away. A wealthy and influential girl, threatened by his academic prowess, had falsely accused him of stealing exam papers. Without proper investigation, the college administration, swayed by power and privilege, had swiftly rusticated him. The incident had extinguished a promising career, leaving him with little recourse but to take up the unassuming role of a helper on this very train, a stark reminder of a life unjustly derailed.
Ramakant filed this information away, a new thread in the intricate tapestry of his investigation. The puzzle of Shailesh Dev was proving to be more complex than he had initially anticipated, and the lives of those around him, it seemed, held their own compelling narratives.
***
The labyrinthine corridors of the train, once a place of bustling activity, now echoed with Ramakant's growing frustration. His methodical questioning of the library staff had yielded nothing. They were a quiet, studious lot, more engrossed in their books than the transient lives that passed through the train. No connections, no whispers of intrigue, nothing to link them to the victim, Shailesh Dev.
The same dead end presented itself when he moved on to the restaurant staff. Chefs, waiters, and kitchen hands, all with the same story: Shailesh was just another face among the many passengers, a fleeting presence in their daily grind. Their testimonies were uniform, devoid of any significant details that could shed light on the mystery.
A sigh of disappointment escaped Ramakant's lips. The clock was relentlessly ticking. Only one day remained before the train reached its final destination, a bustling metropolis where Shailesh Dev's case would inevitably be swallowed by the city's vastness. The thought gnawed at him. He had hoped for a breakthrough, a vital clue that would unravel the enigma surrounding the victim. But so far, nothing.
Now, his only remaining hope rested with the medical staff. As Ramakant made his way towards the medical bay, a faint tremor of anticipation, mingled with a lingering sense of urgency, stirred within him. This was his last chance.
***
Ramakant approached the medical bay, the rhythmic hum of the train a constant backdrop to his thoughts.
Inside, he found Dr. Manas, a man in his late fifties whose distinguished bearing and calm demeanor spoke volumes of his experience. Dr. Manas was a well-known physician, his reputation preceding him. His considerable achievements in the medical field had earned him the prestigious opportunity to offer his services on this luxurious train, a testament to his skill and dedication.
Beside him stood Sukesh, a younger man who moved with an easy familiarity around the medical instruments. Sukesh, it turned out, had been an assistant to Dr. Manas for a considerable time. When the doctor was offered the coveted position on the train, he had, with quiet confidence, suggested to the authorities that Sukesh be posted as his helper. Recognizing Dr. Manas’s standing and trust in his assistant, the authorities readily agreed. And so, Sukesh had joined him, becoming Dr. Manas's trusted assistant aboard the opulent train.
Ramakant began his questions, his voice calm but probing. Dr. Manas listened attentively, his gaze steady, while Sukesh, though quieter, seemed equally composed. Both confirmed knowing Shailesh Dev, but only as a traveler, a recurring face on the train's manifest. "He was a passenger, nothing more," Dr. Manas stated, his voice even. "We've treated various ailments for various travelers, and Mr. Dev was one among them, requiring only routine care during his previous journeys." Sukesh nodded in agreement, his expression unreadable.
Ramakant delved deeper, seeking any hint of a personal connection, any anomaly in their interactions with the victim. But their accounts remained consistent, their answers clear and direct. Their pasts, from all available information, appeared meticulously clean, unblemished by any scandal or significant entanglement. There was no established link, no hidden thread that connected either Dr. Manas or Sukesh to Shailesh Dev beyond the professional confines of a doctor-patient relationship on a luxury train.
Another dead end, Ramakant mused, a faint sigh escaping him.The mystery of Shailesh Dev remained stubbornly unsolved, and with each passing minute, the train hurtled closer to its destination, threatening to carry the truth away with it.
***
Kim Bhutia, a thirty-year-old woman from Gangtok, was a nurse aboard "The Nature Express." Her journey to this unique role was a winding one, marked by both professional dedication and personal hardship.
Before joining the train's crew, Kim had been a nurse at a prestigious hospital in Gangtok. Her skills and compassionate nature were highly regarded, leading to a transfer to a new branch of the same hospital in Delhi after several months. Life in the bustling capital was a significant change from the serene mountains of Gangtok, but Kim embraced it with her usual diligence.
However, her time in Delhi took a dark turn. One day, she was subjected to harassment by a wealthy patient. Instead of offering support, the hospital management, swayed by the patient's influence, unjustly sided with him and expelled Kim from her job. It was a devastating blow, leaving her adrift and questioning her future.
Yet, Kim's reputation for hard work and exemplary behavior preceded her. A senior colleague from her Gangtok days, aware of her plight and her unwavering dedication, recommended her to the authorities of "The Nature Express." Impressed by her credentials and moved by her story, they offered her a position as a nurse on the luxury train. It was a chance for a fresh start, a new path away from the painful memories of Delhi.
As the train journey neared its end, Kim found herself confiding in Ramakant, the detective tasked with solving a mysterious murder on board. She narrated her entire ordeal, from her esteemed position in Gangtok to the injustice she faced in Delhi, and finally, her serendipitous arrival on "The Nature Express." Ramakant listened intently, his mind sifting through her words for any potential link to the victim. Despite the emotional weight of her story, he could find no direct connection between Kim and the deceased.
She was in Shivpur on the invitation of a former patient whom she had helped in Delhi to recover from his disease. He respected her very much and invited her to a family function at his house. She couldn't refuse this affectionate invitation and attended the function. Hence, she boarded the train from Shivpur instead of Srinagar.
With each passing mile, Ramakant's hope of identifying the killer began to wane. The intricate web of lives on "The Nature Express" remained tangled, and the truth, it seemed, was as elusive as the vanishing horizon.
***
The rhythmic clatter of the train wheels was a constant companion to Ramakant's thoughts as the journey neared its end, only half a day remaining until Kanyakumari. He mentally replayed every interview, every observation, every piece of information meticulously gathered during the investigation. The faces of the passengers, etched with varying degrees of shock, suspicion, and sorrow, flashed before his eyes.
Shailesh, the victim, had been a puzzle. His professional connections to Rohan and Shruti had been thoroughly investigated, but no hint of animosity or motive had surfaced that could possibly link them to such a heinous act. Their alibis had been solid, their grief seemingly genuine. Ramakant had delved deep into their financial dealings, their personal lives, their interactions with Shailesh, only to find a clean slate.
Then there was Kim and Sonu, whose troubled past had initially raised a red flag. Rumors of old feuds and difficult relationships had circulated among the passengers. However, upon closer scrutiny, it became clear that their past misfortunes had absolutely no connection to Shailesh. Whatever demons they battled, they were not a result of any interaction with the deceased. Ramakant had observed their quiet demeanor, their subtle discomfort, but ultimately concluded that they were simply unfortunate souls caught in a terrible circumstance, not perpetrators.
His superiors, astute and experienced, had cross-verified every finding with Ramakant. They had dissected his notes, re-examined the evidence, and conferred for hours, eventually concurring with his conclusions. The initial panic and frantic speculation had given way to a grim, shared understanding that the killer was not among the immediate suspects.
As the train rattled on, the details of all passengers, meticulously noted down—names, addresses, contact information, even small behavioral quirks observed during the tense days—were transmitted to their respective hometown police stations. Instructions were clear: cooperate fully with any further inquiries from the investigating officers. A collective sigh of relief, albeit a somber one, seemed to ripple through the train as everyone agreed to comply.
Finally, the distant roar of the ocean began to filter through the windows, a herald of their destination. The train pulled into Kanyakumari, its journey completed, but the dark memories of the horrific incident clung to its passengers like a shroud. Each person disembarked, heading towards their respective destinations, carrying with them not just their luggage, but also the haunting echoes of the journey, forever marked by the tragedy that had unfolded within its confines.
Ramakant, too, stepped onto the platform, the case still open in his mind, the quest for justice far from over.
***
Continue in next part...
Written by : Anand Kumar Sharma
Cover designed by : Anmol Sharma
Note : The characters and events portrayed in this story are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons,living or dead,is coincidental and not intended by the author.
